Observations placeholder
Krishnamurti - The Network of Thought - Hurt produces walls and more hurt
Identifier
013625
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The most damage to belief systems is done in childhood and the most difficult to eradicate because often a child deeply hurt will bury the memory of that hurt, wiping out the indexes to the memory. As an adult therefore they may have a hugely damaged belief system, but no way of remembering or understanding why they have this. In this way cycles of abuse and hurt perpetuate themselves, an abused child may become an abusing adult, a bully may beget a bully, a tormented may become the tormentor. And the cycle is never broken from generation to generation.
Alternatively, hurt remembered may cause the adult to build 'walls' of psychological protection.
There is one key thing that has to be done before any relearning can take place in these circumstances, the memory has to be reactivated and the source of the hurt and the damage revealed. The person must face what might be quite harrowing scenes of 'replay' – recall in as much detail as possible, because without understanding of why the belief remains there can be no relearning and no relief – the cycle will never be broken.
This is why the last stage of relearning - perception recall is so important.
Every tyrant, every bully, every tormentor should be forced to undergo this form of recall simply to understand why they are like they are – to see that all they are doing is perpetuating the behaviour of perhaps many generations.
A description of the experience
J. Krishnamurti – The Network of Thought
We realise that we are hurt psychologically from childhood, we see all the consequences of that hurt, which we resist, from which we withdraw, not wanting to be hurt anymore. We encourage isolation and therefore build a wall round ourselves. In our relationships we do the same thing.
The consequences of being hurt from childhood are pain, resistance, withdrawal, isolation, deeper and deeper fear.